Felipolis
Felipolis is the seventh book of the Felidae series, published in Germany in 2010. Felipolis is notable for returning to the style previously used in the sixth book (Schandtat: that included several changes of structure including different point of views). The book includes, for the second time, a non-German location (though only briefly and only at the end). The main moral theme of the novel is the criticism to the human greed. There is also parallelism with the Jewish persecution but also a criticism of Zionism. Plot The story begin with Francis in low mood after having argued with his mate Sancta: she was not happy of the constant teasing that Francis made of his human Gustav. Blubeard try to cheer him up and then begins to speak about the strange case of a she-cat that inherited a fortune in the city. Francis had partially read of this new, but Bluebeard encourages his friend to know more of the situation (reminding him how he was more active in the past adventures). Francis enters into the large garden around the huge villa where lives the cat, and meet a number of characters: Herzl, an Austrian intellectual carthusian cat interested in the human debate about the inheritance, a trio of alarming and dangerous cats lead by Clint, and the "Proletarian Union" a group of stray communist cats lead by Josef, interested to grab a slice of the inheritance to found themselves. Suddenly the body of a man fall from above (crashing a glass window) and the cats take advantage of the confusion to enter and explore the villa. Here Francis meets Domino, a fascinating blue-furred cross that's the she- cat who has inherited the huge fortune from her dead mistress Adelheid. Domino is scared and was hiding there, fearing the man Marc Forster: a collaborator of the defunct Adelheid. Francis is attracted by the pretty she-cat and has confused feeling because the relationship with Sancta. Suddenly Marc Forster appears and the pair split: Francis fall into a duct directly into an large pool full of huge Koi fishes. Around the pool are rallied many cats, and Josef and Herzl help Francis to came out. Some of the cats in the crowd include the Proletarian Union but also aristocratic cats as Sumra von Wechselberg (that has diamonds in her collar): all interested into the money of Domino. Suddenly appears Marc Forster and the cats fled away, Francis however is grabbed by the human and almost beated to death. Barely alive and in a state of unconsciousness, Francis is saved by Josef and the Proletarian Union that grab his body and take him out of the villa handing him to Bluebeard and Junior. While into his unconscious state, Francis dreams about a tropical island and then wake up to discover himself being treated for days. Still unable to keep on the investigation, Francis is firm on discovering the murderer of the human and to save Domino: he send Bluebeard to find Josef and warn the Proletarian Union to stay away from the dangerous villa, while Junior receive the task to investigate about the mysterious island on internet. During the night, Francis is attacked by Clint and his two comrades (while Archie kept sleeping unaware of fight) but a sudden intervention of Bluebeard and Junior erupt into a fierce clash and the three killers are defeated. Clint and his friends commit suicide cutting their throats with their own claws before shouting "Long Live Felipolis!". Bluebeard informs Francis that he arrived too late, Josef had been already assassinated with some of his comrades by Clint while the rest of the group fled away but Junior managed to discover the location of the island of Francis's dream: Koroyama in the Indian Ocean. Also Francis learns details about Forster, he's actually a former zoologist, aware of the animal's intelligence and probably able to understand cats. Sancta however mysteriously disappears and Francis receives the disappointment of Bluebeard and Junior when he orders them to not search her, while looking at the sky and having a glimpse of what seems to be the Josef's spirit going away, Francis realize that he've to save his loved one. Around the villa had gathered a crowd of an ecologist group, the "Animal Army" lead by Lars Büttel. During the night, Francis wander between them and meet again Herzl that help him to find a shelter to sleep. The next morning, Francis is surprised to find himself inside the basket of the Lars's airship. The ecologist leader had planned to make a demonstrative action landing on the villa's roof. After both Francis and Lars land on the villa, the man fall from the roof and die but Francis is the only one to witness how the Lars' fall was caused by someone: Francis could however had only a brief glimpse of the killer's shadow. Unexpectedly, the Lars's airship fall on the roof and ignite a fire and Francis fall into a chimney only to witness a large conference held by Marc Forster in front of dozens of billionaries. Francis discover how the "Kantsky" group lead by Adelheid was going to launch an innovative GPS guide named Galileo (able to remotely control other technology) and to escape governative controls of such device, Marc had planned to make Domino the official heir of such fortune, buy the island on the Indian Ocean and there lead a small indipendent state-residence for the billionaries and have more freedom to sell the Galileo at every interested country or private entity. SPOILER (conclusion): Francis meets again Domino and while walking with her, he realizes a number of facts: Herzl is infact Domino's faher and from discrepances of the Domino's words, he realizes how the she-cat had caused the death of the two humans and how Herzl and Domino tried to kill Francis three times: making him fall into the pool with Koi fishes (Herzl was forced to help saving him because of a whole crowd of witnesses), sending Clint to murder him and pulling him into the same airship of Lars. Francis realize how Herzl had inherited his name from a notorius sionist leader and his plan is actually to build "Felipolis", an indipendent nation for cats into the Koroyama island: a true "Zion" or Promised Land for the felines. The Proletarian Union was a dangerous element for this project, and so it was the same Francis (because investigating on the death of the first victim, a laywer that could have caused problems, and the further investigations and involvement with the Proletarian Union). After leaving Domino, unnoticed, Francis find and follow Marc, until reaching an hall with 300 cats rallied together, including Sumra and the same Sancta that had been fascinated by Herzl's words of a promised land for cats.There Francis claim how Marc had planned to gas alive the cats (having seen the cylindres) and he had no interest in helping them, but Herlz and Domino laugh at him and show how the gas pumped into the room was to keep the cats quiet and happy during the long journey. Also Francis is affected by the drug-gas and all the cats are carried into bus: the final destination however it's not the airport as planned by Herzl, the words of Francis proves to be founded. Despite being an ex-zoologist and able to understand part of the cats's dialogues, Forster is driven by greed and now Domino and Herzl were no more useful: he rally all the cats together into a room of an abandoned Academy of Agricultural Science with a crematorium. Forster grab both Herzl and Domino and close them inside the crematorium, burning them to death. Francis realize that the cats have only one hope: taking advantage of the state of delight inducted by the gas they had assimilated, he encourages them to jump on Forster and his two helpers. The men are crushed by the mass of cats and the same Forster had his head forced inside the crematorium that's activated: his head and face are horribly disfigured by the fire while also his helpers are overcomed by the cats. Still Forster manage to escape but let accidentally fall the Galileo prototype device and Francis and Sancta collect it. Despite knowing that's not their destiny, Francis is too much fascinated by the Felipolis and use the Galileo to start the engines of the bus and give the destination of the airport. The cats reach the airport and they manage to get quickly into the Airbus A-380 waiting for the billionaries, there Francis and Sacta use the Galileo to take off the plane while the billionaries (arrived late only for few minutes) remain on the ground together the amazed mechanical and the human personnal of the airport. While exploring the aircraft, Francis find the load compartment and here he's attacked by Marc Forster: the man is now horribly disfigured and crazy of revenge and hate. During the final battle, Francis manage to open the load compartment and Forster fall out of the plane to his death. The Airbus lands on Koroyama and Francis, Sancta and the other cats are ready to enjoy their paradise knowing that this will not last forever: Francis is aware that Gustav and all the cats's owner will find them (their departure wasn't exactly unnoticed by humans) and Francis realize how a "Felipolis", a Zion, a Promised Land is not defined by the borders of a nation, but by the borders of your own heart. Category:Books